


They'll be okay

by SigneHansen



Category: The Mindy Project
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Jealous Danny - sort of, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-21
Updated: 2014-07-10
Packaged: 2018-01-20 07:12:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 12,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1501400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SigneHansen/pseuds/SigneHansen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He sighs as he watches Peter waltzing merrily into her office. He's wearing a smug smile. Danny feels like it’s there just to mock him. When her door closes behind him, he drops the file in his hand, turns around and slams his office door. He knows he seems overly dramatic, but he can’t help it.</p><p>Peter has taken his place and it's tearing him apart slowly.</p><p>Just a bunch of angsty fluff tbh</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know about this, I've just been thinking about how Danny and Mindy have to make up eventually and how Danny must be jealous of Peter and, well, this happened.
> 
> Enjoy?
> 
> Also, I ADORE getting comments from you guys. It literally makes my day. So thank you for that, and by all means continue doing that... <3 ;)

It hurts more than he thought it would. Of course, he had known their relationship would be awkward for a while, that they could not just go directly back to being what they used to be. But he had not realized how long that _while_ would last. Every time she asks Peter to come into her office, or to go on some of her schemes with her, his heart breaks a little more than it already has.

He knows there is nothing between them, that Mindy just needs someone other than him to share her drama with, but somehow that’s even worse. Knowing that he’s screwed it all up. Knowing that he had it all, only to throw it away on something so stupid.

Way to go Castellano!

He sighs as he watches Peter waltzing merrily into her office. He is wearing a smug smile. Danny feels like it’s there, just to mock him. When her door closes behind him, he drops the file in his hand, turns around and slams his office door. He knows he seems overly dramatic, but he can’t help it.

Peter has taken his place and it is tearing him apart slowly.

He’s sulking at his desk, when there’s a knock on his door. He knows it’s probably Betsy, trying to figure out why he’s being such a drama queen (and yeah, he knows he’s acting ridiculous, but there’s literally no helping it) so he yells that he’s fine, and asks her to leave him alone.

But the door opens anyway, and it’s not Betsy.

“Listen bro,” Peter says, as he enters without an invitation. “You need to go talk to Mindy.”

“I told you to leave.” Danny says, looking defiantly into the file on his desk.

“Stop being such a child. Mindy needs you. I tried talking to her, and there’s nothing I can do. She’s really sad, and I do not cope well with sad chicks.”

“Sad?” He perks up a bit. Mindy needs him?

“Stop sounding so happy about that.”

“I’m not happy.” He pouts, but he has to admit that the thought of Mindy wanting to talk to him makes him a lot happier than it should.

“Just go talk to her, dude.”

“Did she ask for me?” he asks tentatively. He doesn’t want to barge into her office, if he’s just going to be thrown out again.

Peter throws up his hands in indignation. “You kidding me?! Just go to her.” he’s basically pushing Danny out of the door now, and before he knows it, he’s standing in front of Mindy’s office, staring at the closed door.

“GO TO HER!” Peter’s close enough to push, so Danny quickly grabs the handle and lets himself in.

Mindy is not on the floor, like he expected. She’s in her desk chair, bent over the table, her head in her hands. Her whole body is heaving and he can hear silent sobs coming from her. Before he even thinks, he’s next to her, rubbing a soothing hand on her back.

“Min?” his voice breaks slightly. He doesn’t like seeing her like this.

“Danny?” she says, her voice small. She looks at him with tearstained eyes. Her mascara has run down her face, and she looks… She looks broken.

He turns her chair so she’s facing him, and he kneels in front of her.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” He’s moving his hands up and down her arms, holding her gaze as he motions for her to answer.

“I…” she says, and she starts crying again. “My dad, he…” she leans forward again, and buries her face in his shoulder.

“Hey Min, it’ll be alright. I’m here.” He holds her close, and lets her soak his shoulder. She’s clutching his shirt between her hands, and he runs his hand in soothing circles on her back. “I’m here” he repeats, and places a small kiss on the side of her head.

When she stops crying, she moves back. She looks so small. It takes everything in him to not just pick her up and carry her to a safe place. He brushes a stray strand of hair from her face, and removes a tear from her cheek. She sends him a sad smile at that, and he sends her one right back.

“Stay here.” He says and leaves her office.

3 minutes later, he has gotten Peter to cover their remaining patients, and he’s helping Mindy into her coat. She still looks so frail, and he’s almost afraid to break her.

He hails them a cab, and when they reach her apartment building he walks her to her door. When they get there, he stands awkwardly by as she unlocks it. “You okay?” he says, once she’s inside. “Need anything?”

“Will you…” she shakes her head, like she’s trying to clear her thoughts. “No, it’s stupid.”

“Hey, no. Don’t do that.” He grabs her arm gently. “I told you: I’m here. Whatever you need, I’ll get it for you.”

She looks up at him, her face so vulnerable it makes her look younger, almost like a child. He swallows a lump in his throat, and locks his gaze with hers. “Whatever you need, Min.” She grabs his hand, and pulls him forward.

“Will you stay?” She doesn’t let go of his hand, just laces her fingers through his. “I can’t be alone. I don’t…” he can see tears falling again, and he moves closer to her, wrapping his free arm around her.

“Of course.”

She pulls him towards her bedroom and for once he doesn’t think about what he wants, just follows her blindly, and holds her close on top of the covers.

When the tears stop again, she starts talking. Tells him about all the things her dad and her used to do. How he taught her to ride a bike, helped her with her homework, took her to the movies, even when it was to see horribly romantic comedies. She laughs quietly to herself as if she’s forgotten, but as soon as she remembers she tenses up again, and he soothes her, rubbing circles into her back.

“He sounds like a hell of a man.” He says, when he feels her relax.

“You would’ve liked him.” She whispers, and he can feel the half smile against his neck.

“If he was even remotely like you, I’m sure I would’ve loved him.” He knows he’s said too much, but she doesn’t flinch.

“Will you come to the funeral?” she says it quietly, and he nods.

“Of course.”

She falls asleep soon after and he stays there. He holds her through everything, and even though he knows he shouldn’t, he feels happy. As he feels her exhale against his neck, creating a tiny tickling sensation, he knows they’ll be okay. He hasn’t lost her.

Peter might be her go-to guy for drama, but he’s there for the real stuff. For the stuff that she really cares about. The stuff that makes her heart break, her mind blank, her tears fall.

He’s there for all of that, and this time, he’s not going to let it go.

They’ll be okay.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few of you have asked me to continue this, so here I am: continuing this...  
> Right now it's very slow-moving, but I think that's kind of fitting in relation to the severity of the theme, or something along those lines...
> 
> That being said, I don't know how often I'll be able to update, as there's currently a lot happening with my brother and school and stuff, but I really like writing this! 
> 
> Also, special thanks to Robin (redrobin2175 on tumblr and mindian3 on twitter) for suggesting how to proceed and for just being awesome in general ;)
> 
> Oh, and I know this is short? But I'll make it up to you later. I PROMISE!

When he wakes up, she’s still in his arms. Her breathing is deep and even. He tightens his grip on her, placing a feather light kiss in her hair. As if on cue she burrows deeper in his arms, and sighs contentedly. He’s careful not to wake her, as he runs his hand gently up her back. He can feel her lips on his collarbone, and though she’s asleep he imagines a smile playing on her lips. He knows that if he wakes her up, that smile will disappear. Right now she’s happily oblivious to what happened yesterday, in her dreams her father is still alive, and he can’t be the one to take that dream away from her.

He places another light kiss in her hair, and closes his eyes again. He lets the sound of Mindy’s breaths lull him to sleep, as he thinks back to a time where he held her close without this overhanging sense of sadness.

When he wakes up again, she’s not there. He stretches slowly and looks around him. Mindy is sitting in a chair by the foot of the bed, curled in on herself. She has a book clutched in her hand, and silent tears running down her cheeks.

“Hey” he says softly. She looks up and shoots him a sad smile.

“Hey” Her voice is so small, he has to strain his ears to hear her.

He sits up and scoots closer to her until he’s sitting on the edge of the bed, facing her. “Photos?” he asks, and she nods.

For a while they sit like that, flipping through page after page of happy photographs. Eventually she starts telling him small anecdotes of each of them, and he moves a calming hand to her knee.

When they make it to the last page, she closes the book with a sob, and he envelopes her in a tight hug.

She pulls back, and the look on her face breaks his heart. He’s once again struck by how young she looks when she’s like this, and there’s no way he could ever find it in himself not to do everything this woman asks of him.

“I don’t know how to do this.” She says, a single tear glistening on her cheek. He catches it with his thumb, and she looks down. “I mean, I… The funeral and the wake and the casket and…” she’s shaking her head as she’s rambling and he reaches a hand out to stop her.

“Hey. Hey. That’s why I’m here.” She gets quiet and looks up at him from tearstained eyes.

“You would do that?” She looks so unsure; of herself, of him, of everything. And it hurts to see her like this. He’s never seen her look so insecure. He sends her a crooked smile and for once, he says exactly what’s on his mind, hoping it will make her regain some of her usual confidence.

“I would do everything for you, Mindy.” She looks down, but he sees her hide a small smile. It makes him proud to think that even through this, he can make her smile like that.

“I told you: I’m here for whatever you need me for.”

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, a pretty short chapter. I think I like them short (pretend like that didn't sound as dirty as it did...) 
> 
> And oh god you guys: all the comments! I LOVE YOUUUUUU <3 You are seriously the nicest people in the entire world and I'd be nowhere without you.... Or something less dramatic, maybe ;)
> 
> Enjoooooy

He stays with her for the next few days. He helps her plan the funeral, he makes calls, he cooks her dinner, he holds her when the reality of the situation catches up on her. He tells her everything will be okay, even though he knows his words are empty.

He goes to sleep on the couch, but ends up in her bed every night, stroking her hair as she sobs silently.

He hates seeing her in so much pain; would literally do everything to get the happy, bubbly Mindy back.

One evening when they’re watching a movie, her head on his thigh, his hand languidly playing with her hair, she smiles at him. A genuine, bright smile that makes her look like her usual self. He smiles back at her, and he’s taken aback by the sheer amount of love he feels for her.

“I don’t think I thanked you for all of this, Danny.” She says, still smiling.

He just shakes his head, and mutters a lame “you really don’t have to.”

She lets out a huff of air, almost a laugh, and sits up, scooting close to him. “I really appreciate it.” She kisses him softly on his cheek and lies back down, now facing the TV.

He touches the spot she kissed absentmindedly, and goes back to playing with her hair.

That night, they both sleep on the couch.

 

The next morning they leave for Boston. Mindy is quiet and Danny doesn’t push her. He kisses her hair softly when she falls asleep on him on the train, and he smiles to himself despite the sadness clinging to them both.

 

He holds her hand when they walk up the driveway, and doesn’t blame her when she lets it go to run into her mother’s open arms.

“Hey Danny!” Rishi exits the house, and though Danny can see he’s just as affected as his sister, he greets him with a big smile.

“Hey Rishi. I’m really sorry about your loss.” He almost winces at how lame the statement sounds, but Rishi seems pleased nonetheless. Danny pats him on the back, because that’s what he would do to his own brother, and it seems appropriate.

Together they haul their luggage through the front door, and up to a room Danny guesses must have been Mindy’s childhood room.

“Whoa, is this a room, or a shrine to the Backyard Boys?” Rishi laughs, but before he can respond, Mindy’s voice can be heard from downstairs.

“It’s the BackSTREET Boys, Danny. Don’t pretend like you don’t know them.” He smiles when he hears how like herself she sounds. Rishi looks at him with a puzzled expression, but shrugs it off when he sees how fond Danny looks.

“So, you’ve been with Mindy all week?”

“Yeah, she didn’t want to be alone.”

Rishi nods, “you’re really good for her.”

“Oh, we’re not… I’m not… I screwed that up.” He says the last 4 words so quietly, Rishi barely registers them.

“I’m not so sure you did.”

“Huh?” he looks at Rishi with furrowed brows.

“I know my sister, Danny. She wouldn’t just bring anyone home; especially not for something like this. She doesn’t open up to just anyone, not like this.” Rishi smiles knowingly at him, and pats Danny’s shoulder when he leaves the room, chuckling softly. “I don’t think you’ve completely screwed up, my friend.”

Danny sits down heavily on the bed, looking down at his hands. What Rishi said makes sense, he knows it does. But he can’t take advantage of Mindy’s fragile state. She doesn’t need any romantic entanglement right now, she needs a friend; a shoulder to cry on.

And for now, that has to be good enough for him.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter before the (hopefully) amazing finale on Tuesday. I literally can't wait. Like, I've taken Wednesday off work so I can watch it live.  
> This show is literally ruining my life, and I'm so into it ;)
> 
> I think I have a vague idea of where this is going, but we'll see.
> 
> Also, I decided to use Mindy's real-life mom's name, because I'm seriously bad at making up names!

“Danny?” Mindy’s standing in the doorway, staring at him with a concerned look on her face.

“Huh?” he looks up, realizing he’s been sitting on the bed for quite some time.

“You okay?”

He shoots her a quick smile and gets up. “Yeah, sorry. I just had some stuff to think over.” He touches her shoulder gently, and looks at her reassuringly. “It’s nothing important.” She seems to relax at that, and leans into his touch.

“So, you liked the Backstreet Boys, huh?” she gives him a gentle push, but smiles at him.

“Yeah. I had such a crush on Nick Carter.”

“Which of them is that?”

“The white guy… The one who kind of looks like Casey, a little?”

“That guy?!” he’s pointing confusedly at the blonde on the far left.

“Yeah! I mean okay, yeah… I guess he was a bit cuter, when I was a kid.”

“Geez, I hope so.” She pushes him again, and giggles. It sounds like music to Danny’s ears, and he suddenly has to restrain himself to not pull her close and kiss her senseless. His face must have conveyed this feeling a bit too vividly, because Mindy shuffles awkwardly on her feet, and looks down again.

“You still haven’t met my mom.” She says quietly, and suddenly she’s that fragile, young girl again. He pulls her into a one-armed hug and says “let’s go meet your mom” softly into her hair.

-

“Mom? Uh, this is Danny.” She sounds nervous, as she drags her mother’s attention away from the pot on the stove.

“Mrs. Lahiri, it’s so nice to meet you. I’m, uh, sorry it has to be under such terrible circumstances.” He extends his hand, but she swats it away and envelops him in a warm hug.

“Oh honey, call me Swati. I’m glad to finally meet you.” she draws back, still holding his arms. “Now let me look at you, young man.” He shoots her a crooked smile, and her entire face lights up. “Such a charmer! I see why she likes you.”

“Oh, uhm. It’s not. I don’t…” he fumbles to find the words, but luckily he doesn’t get to finish the sentence, before the alarm on the stove beeps and she has to stir the contents of the pot.

“You like butter chicken, Danny?”

He nods, but adds a “yes” when he realizes she can’t see with her back to him.

“Good.” She nods too, and then gestures to Mindy. “Help set the table, dear.”

-

Dinner with Mindy’s family is good, but he feels like something’s off. They’re all wearing smiles and cracking jokes, but the absence of Mindy’s father is ever-present. He feels it when he catches Swati staring at the empty chair with a sad smile, and when Rishi suddenly stops a story halfway through, his eyes darting to the picture on the wall. But most of all he feels it when he looks at Mindy. Sure, she’s wearing a smile, but it’s not genuine. She’s trying to be strong for her mother and brother, but the sadness shines right through.

When Swati employs Rishi to help carry out the plates, Danny covers Mindy’s hand with his and caresses it softly.

“You’ll be okay, Min.” she just nods, and turns her hand so she can lace her fingers through his.

“I know.”

They stay like that until Rishi comes back. She quickly extricates her hand, and he tries to smother the feeling of disappointment he gets at the loss of contact. But when she shoots him a small smile, his insides feel whole again.

-

The rest of the night goes by in much the same way. They all share stories and Danny can’t remember the last time he felt so comfortable in the company of another family than his own.

Mindy still looks sad, but when she starts talking about a particularly difficult patient, her face lights up and he recognizes _his_ Mindy.

No, not his. Not anymore. Not yet?

-

They talk about Mindy’s dad too. Funny memories and recollections. And eventually, as the evening turns into night, the smiles on their faces turn genuine and warm. Their loved one might be gone, but he’ll never be forgotten.

When Rishi calls it a night, and Mindy goes to talk to him, Danny looks at Swati. She’s been quiet for a while, but she doesn’t look sad. She sends him a soft smile, and he can see so much of Mindy in her he can’t help but smile back.

“Thank you.” She says.

“For what?”

“For being there for her.”

She looks so sincere, and he can feel the prickling of tears behind his eyelids. He can’t find his voice, so he just nods, hoping it’s enough. She smiles at him again and then gets up to exit the room.

“You’re good for her, Danny.” She says, before walking out, leaving him confused and emotional.

 -

A good ten minutes later, Mindy comes back. She wordlessly drags him up to her room, and buries herself in his arms as she sheds all the unshed tears from the past few hours.

He caresses her back, kisses her hair, whispers comforting words to her. He promises to be there for her tomorrow, at the funeral. He promises to be there for her for as long as she needs him. And if he sheds a tear or two as well, it’s just because he hates seeing her like this.

When she falls asleep, he drags the covers over both of them, and falls asleep almost immediately.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S TONIGHT! IT'S REALLY HAPPENING! TONIGHT! OH MY GOD!   
> I wanted to get this chapter out before I die of feelings later, so... Yeah... 
> 
> Your comments give me live. Seriously <3

He’s woken up by a small hand slapping at his chest. “Danny, your phone!” her voice is still riddled with sleep and when he tries sitting up, she’s holding onto him.

“Sorry, babe.” he says, and doesn’t even have time to correct his mistake, when the phone starts ringing again.

He extricates himself from her firm gasp, and exits the room as quietly as possible.

“Two seconds.” He makes his way down to the front door, closing it behind him. He doesn’t want to wake up the rest of the family. They need the rest before the funeral later.

“Hey?” He hasn’t checked the caller ID during the confusion.

“Danny? Jeremy here. Did I wake you?” Danny sits down on the steps of the front door, and tries blinking the remaining sleep out of his eyes.

“Yeah. Is it important?”

“How is she?” He can hear the concern in his fellow doctor’s voice, and if he strains his ears, he can hear the rest of his coworkers in the background.

“Not great, but she will be. The funeral is later today, and I think that might… I hope it’ll help to get that, uh, a bit behind her…” He’s about to continue, when Peter grabs the phone, and cuts in.

“Hey, lil’ buddy! It’s good you’re there for her. You’re not… _Being_ there for her, right? She does not need that right now!”

“What?! No, of course not!”

“Good. That’s all I wanted to hear. Betsy?” The next thing he hears is Betsy’s fragile voice.

“We’ve sent some flowers for the funeral. I hope they make it. They’re roses. I don’t know if roses are good for funerals. I haven’t really been to a funeral before…”

“I’m sure they’re perfect, Bets. She’ll appreciate it. Thank you!” He hears Betsy sniffling and Morgan takes over the phone.

“Dr. C?” Morgan’s blubbering like a weeping child, and Danny can’t help but smile. He’s overwhelmed by how much they all care about Mindy. “Tell Dr. L… Tell her that I love that beautiful queen of the desert. I can get her a puppy. Puppies are great for overcoming sadness. When my uncle…”

“No, nope. That’s not. She doesn’t need a puppy, Morgan. But I’ll tell her you care for her.”

“Love her, Dr. C.” he corrects him, and Danny swallows nervously at the words.

“Right, yes. That.”

He eventually gets Jeremy back on the phone, but when they hang up he just sits there for a while.

He wants to go back in and tell Mindy everything their weird coworkers told him, but he doesn’t want to wake her up either. So he stays outside.

He watches the sun rising to its place in the sky while he thinks about the past couple of days. Even though the situation is definitely not ideal, being around Mindy has been amazing. The past couple of months after the… Well, after making the stupidest decision of his life, haven’t been good.

He lets his mind wander back to _before_ , to when he could pull her into his arms without thinking, could kiss her without asking. He lets out a heavy sigh, and jumps about 4 feet into the air when he hears a little voice behind him.

“What are you doing out here?”

“Oh god, Min. You scared me half to death.” His hand is glued to his chest, like he’s some southern woman.

She smiles at him. “Why are you hiding out here, you idiot?”

He removes his hand and beckons her to join him on the stairs. She sits down next to him, and leans in close. “Who was that on the phone?” He wraps his arm around her shoulder.

“Jeremy. And Peter… And Betsy and Morgan. They’re worried about you.”

She lets out a huff of air, and hides her face in his neck. “They’re sweet.”

“They’ve sent flowers for the, uhm, service later. Morgan even told me to tell you he, uh, he… he…”

“He what?” she looks up at him.

“He loves you.” They lock eyes, and Danny stops breathing for a second. She gapes at him, a puzzled look on her face. He’s just about to lean forward and close the distance between them, when the door behind them opens.

“What on earth are you doing out here?” Swati asks, laughter in her voice.

The moment is broken, and Danny looks up at her, a small smile on his lips. “Just wanted to see the sunrise, I guess?”

He stands up and extends his hand for Mindy to grab. After a few seconds she does, and he leads them back inside.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! New chapter, finally.  
> The happiness of the finale made it kind of impossible for me to write all this angst, but I think I'm ready again ;)
> 
> Once again, your comments give me life, and I seriously just adore you all so freaking much <3

When her family starts to trickle in around noon, Danny stays in the background. It’s not that he doesn’t want to meet Mindy’s family, but he doesn’t want to make everything complicated for her – and he knows his presence will do just that. They’re not dating, not anymore.

And if he’s honest with himself, he doesn’t want to subject himself to the torture of repeating “I’m just a friend” over and over again. So yes, he’s kind of a little selfish, but he tries to tell himself that the biggest reason is Mindy.

There’s an eerie calm about the gathering. He can of course hear a lot of condolences, but there’s also a lot of smiles, hugs, tiny shared laughs. He’s looking on as an outsider and he knows that even if he wanted to be a part of it, he’d be a weird fit. He didn’t know Mindy’s dad. He wouldn’t be able to relay great stories of this great man. The only thing he knows for sure is that he’s grateful he existed, because if he hadn’t? Well, neither had Mindy. 

He looks at her then. She’s standing in the corner of the living room, holding a casserole of some kind, sending a forced smile to the woman she’s talking to. She’s literally being cornered and she looks so uncomfortable he abandons his plan of staying in the background. He makes his way to the corner, his eyes never leaving her for one second.

“… oh honey, it’s so horrible. He’ll never see you having kids, or getting married. Maybe if you weren’t so picky, dear…” he cringes inwardly – and probably outwardly too – when he hears the words.

“Hey min?” He says softly when he reaches her, touching her shoulder gently. “You need me to take that?” The look she sends him is so grateful, and he shoots her a small smile. 

“No, actually I was just going to put it in the kitchen. But could you help me out there, maybe?” she’s talking fast like she’s desperate to escape, which she probably is. 

“Oh, hello? Who are you?” the older woman asks. 

“Hello,” he extends his hand to the woman, and tries to smile in a way that doesn’t reveal his annoyance. “Daniel Castellano. I work with Mindy.” The woman gives him an elevator look, and nods approvingly.

“I’m Mindy’s aunt, Amiya. It’s lovely to meet you.” Danny shakes her hand. 

“You too. But you’ll have to excuse us for a second.” He wraps an arm around Mindy’s shoulder and leads her to the kitchen.

“Are you okay?” he says as soon as they get through the door. He grabs the casserole in her hand, and puts it on the table with a bit too much vigor. Then he moves in front of her, and runs his hands up and down her upper arms. “I heard what she said to you, Min.” 

She nods, and looks down. “She’s always like that, it’s nothing really.” But he can hear the hurt behind her words. 

“Yes it is. You shouldn’t have to listen to stuff like that right now. There’s nothing wrong with you, and even though I didn’t know him, I know your dad would agree with me on that.” She crashes into him at those words, wrapping her arms tightly around his middle. He lets her, holding her tightly against his chest, placing soft kisses in her hair. She’s not crying this time, just breathing deeply. “Thank you” She says it so softly he’s not sure he actually hears it or just feels the vibration of her words. 

“Nothing to thank me for.” 

He doesn’t know how long they stand like that. He doesn’t even know if other people see them. But when he eventually draws back, he can’t help but bring his hand to her face, caressing her cheek softly with his thumb.

“I’m here.” He doesn’t now why he says it, just knows it seems appropriate.

A shrill voice brings them out of their little bubble. “I knew it! Oh, honey! I’m so happy for you.” It’s aunt Amiya again. She wraps them both in a huge hug and he can feel Mindy tensing up from where he’s still holding onto her.

“Oh, aunt Amiya. We’re not… He’s not… We’re…” 

“I think you’ve misunderstood, Miss. We’re just friends. Nothing more.” His voice breaks a bit on the last two words, but he quickly recovers, shooting the intruding aunt a charming smile.

Her face turns pale and she draws back. “Oh dear, I am so sorry.” She doesn’t look particularly sorry, though. Her eyes moving from both their faces to the place on Mindy’s hip where Danny’s hand is still pressed firmly.  

“It’s okay” Mindy says, and before she can ask more questions, Mindy drags Danny into the living room by his hand. 

-

The next hour goes by with Mindy holding so firmly onto Danny’s hand he starts losing feeling in it. He doesn’t care though because she’s there, and he’s there for her and there’s really nowhere else he’d rather be.

When the family starts to pack up to go to the chapel, Danny lets go of her hand. “Hey, you should go along. I’ll finish packing up here, and I’ll hurry over. Okay?” She nods.

“But you’ll be there?”

He shoots her a genuine smile. “Yes.” He wraps her in a quick hug, and he feels her relax against him. “Of course I will.” 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, first of all: I have literally no idea how a hindu funeral service works, and the few google searches I did were no help at all. So I just went with what I know... Which is definitely wrong, but you get the point ;)
> 
> And I just really want to say how much your feedback means to me. It's seriously the main source of my happiness right now ;)
> 
> Fair warning: This chapter was kind of not working right for me, but I hope it's okay :D

It turns out _packing up_ takes a lot longer than he thought. Before he knows it, there’s 15 minutes until the funeral starts and he doesn’t know where the chapel is.

Luckily Mindy’s cousin, Nadir is there with him, and apparently he knows.

“So, you’re Mindy’s boyfriend, huh?” he asks, when they’re rushing through traffic, trying to make it on time.

“Actually… We’re just coworkers.” He’s holding firmly onto the seat, realizing that being a bad driver is apparently a family-trait. “And friends. She’s my best friend.” He adds, as an afterthought.

“Huh. I thought… Well, okay. Nevermind then!” he’s got a weird look on his face but Danny’s too preoccupied freaking out about crashing to figure out what it means.

8 minutes later they reach the chapel. Danny has sweated through all of his layers, and his heart is beating so loudly he’s afraid it may beat out of his chest. He can’t see Mindy anywhere, which adds to his freak-out. He promised to be there for her, and he missed it. Now he’ll be forced to sit in the back, only able to look at Mindy from afar, not being able to hold her hand or stroke her hair.

He half-runs to the entrance and sees Swati standing there. She’s alone, tears streaming silently down her face. He reaches her and puts a hand on her arm, which shakes her out of her stupor. “I think it’s time.” He says softly, and she nods.

“Mindy was waiting for you.” She whispers, when they get inside and he nods. When he makes a move to sit in the back, she shakes her head, and drags him along with her to the front. Mindy’s there – next to Rishi – and she lets out a breath she’s been holding in when she sees him. He sits down next to her, and she immediately grabs his hand.

“You’re sweaty.” There’s a small smile playing at her lips, and he squeezes her hand.

“Your cousin is a horrible driver.” She puts her head on his shoulder.

“It’s a family weakness.”

-

The service goes by in a blur; Mindy’s warm hand cradled in his, her head on his shoulder. He wants to wrap her in his arms, to keep her out of harm’s way. Mindy’s other hand is clutched in Rishi’s so she has no way of catching the falling tears; instead they soak through his shirt.

When the service is done, the casket has to be carried out. Mindy lets go of his hand, sends him a sad look, and stands up so she, Rishi and Swati can take a handle each. Some uncles and a cousin join them, and together they carry Mindy’s father out of the chapel. He follows them, his eyes never leaving Mindy.

When the coffin is safely in the hearse, Swati gathers her children up in a crushing hug. People are milling around them, saying comforting things, and talking among themselves.

Some are talking louder than others.

-

Once again, Danny stays in the background. Right now he’s not the one Mindy needs.

He talks a bit with an older man, probably an uncle, but he’s so focused on Mindy that he doesn’t really pay attention.

“She’s a lovely girl.” The older man says.

“Yeah.” Danny replies, absentmindedly.

“So how long have you been in love with her?” Danny looks up at that, noticing a change in the older man’s tone of voice.

“Sorry?”

“How long have you been in love with her?”

“Oh, we’re not together. We’re coworkers, friends.” This conversation is becoming a recurring theme, and the reply is almost ingrained into his brain now.

“I know that.” The man sends him a puzzled smile, “you told me earlier. But I see the way you look at her. You’re in love with her.”

“Oh.”

“She deserves happiness, you know.” Danny nods, his mouth going dry.

“I know.”

Before the older man can reply, Mindy walks up to them. The old man hugs her close, and whispers something in her ear. She nods and sends him a smile. Then he kisses her cheek and walks away.

“I see you met my uncle.” Mindy says, when the man is out of sight.

“He seems nice.”

“He’s my dad’s brother.  He looks so much like him.” She bows her head, and he can hear her sobbing silently. This time he doesn’t hesitate to wrap her up in his arms. He hugs her so tightly he’s afraid she can’t breathe, but she hugs him back with equal strength.

When she pulls back she has a tiny smile on her face. “My make-up is all over you.” She starts brushing it off his shoulder, but he stills her hand.

“Let it be.” He smiles at her, and brings a hand to her face, wiping a stray tear from her cheek. “How are you?”

“Better, I think? But I still… I miss him so much, Danny.” He nods and kisses her forehead.

“Of course you do, Min. And you’ll keep on missing him, probably forever. But it’ll get better, it’ll feel easier. I promise you.”

She’s gazing into his eyes, and he wishes he could stay like this forever. With Mindy looking at him like that, wrapped in his arms.

Then suddenly she moves closer, stands on her tiptoes and places a small, soft kiss on his lips. He doesn’t get to respond before it’s over, and she’s back to standing in front of him. “Thank you, Danny. It… It really means a lot that you’re here.”

He just nods and they stand there for a while, staring at each other, until someone – he doesn’t register who – tells them they’re going back to the house.

She grabs his hand, and they walk hand-in-hand to the car.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, but exams are KILLING me. I'll hand them both in June 3rd, but hopefully there'll be at least one other update before then. I can't promise anything though.  
> I'm also not sure about the length of this. I don't really have a direct time-line planned, so anything can happen, tbh....  
> I don't think it'll be more than a few chapters more though. Like... One or two, maybe...
> 
> So.... Yeah...
> 
> Hope you're dealing with the hell-iatus better than I am! And please leave comments and stuff, it'll make this shitty exam-time a LOT better <3  
> Y'all are amazing <3

Back at the house, the mood is somber and people are standing around awkwardly, not really talking. He can hear muffled yelling, and it takes Danny by surprise, since everyone seemed fairly content earlier. Maybe the funeral took a harder toll on everyone than he thought.

He gazes at Mindy who’s still holding his hand. The look on her face tells him he’s not the only one who’s surprised. She drags him over to the old man he talked to earlier, and asks him what’s going on.

He nods towards the living room, apparently not trusting his voice to speak. When they get there, they find Swati in a heated argument with Mindy’s aunt Amiya. She’s on the couch, Swati bent over her, pointing an accusatory finger towards her.

“You always do this, Amiya. You’re here for one thing, and one thing only: to make us feel bad about what we have. I realize your life is not easy, but is this really the time to point out all our flaws? Avu JUST died, Amiya. He was your brother! You are not only disrespecting my family, you are disrespecting the memory of your brother.” Swati stops at this, and looks intently at her.

“Do you have nothing to say?” Amiya just looks at the carpet like it holds the solution to all her problems.

“I’m sorry” she mutters, and quickly gazes up at Swati. “I know I’m not wanted here.”

She starts to get up, but Swati pushes her down again and joins her on the couch. “You think that’s it? Of course you’re wanted. You’re family. But you need to learn how to treat us with respect. We are all going through an incredibly difficult time, and I’d appreciate it if you would be understanding of that.”

Amiya nods and looks at Swati. “I really am incredibly sorry. I think… I really miss him.” Then she starts crying, and before anyone moves a muscle, Swati gathers her up in a crushing hug.

“Me too, dear. Me too. But we need to deal with our grief in ways that bring us together as a family, not pull us apart.” The two women stay on the couch, each trying to comfort the other.

Danny feels Mindy give his hand a squeeze, and when he looks down at her, she’s smiling at him. There are tears in her eyes, but she’s smiling, and it’s the first real, happy smile he’s seen from her in a while.

-

Eventually, everyone goes home. They all offer their condolences, they hug, they kiss, they leave flowers and assurances of their continued support. At the end of it, Swati looks completely worn out. She takes it well, though, and never once lets her fatigue or grief get the better of her. She’s every bit the strong woman that shines through in her daughter. Danny is completely in awe of her, and he can see Mindy feels the same.

She’s at the opposite side of the room, slumped on the couch with Rishi. They’re leisurely flipping through a photo album, small smiles on their lips. He can hear fragments of their whispered conversations. “… that time with the kangaroo and the horse! God, you looked horrible…” “Shut up, I looked cute. Look at you, you little dork…” he tunes out, not wanting to eavesdrop on their bonding time.

But he can’t stop staring. The way Mindy’s hair falls in a curtain around her face, framing it. The way she kicks Rishi softly, and giggles when he says something Danny doesn’t hear. The way the light plays on her skin, making it glow in a way he’s never seen before. The way her soft lips move and form indistinct words. The way her eyes sparkle when she catches his gaze. The way she smiles and looks away quickly, like she’s embarrassed to be caught in what she’s doing. The way her hand is playing with Rishi’s hair, until he swats it away and she giggles again. The fond way she stares at her little brother, clearly proud of him. He can’t look away. She’s breathtaking.

“She’s doing better.” He’s shaken out of his trance by Swati’s gentle hand on his shoulder. She’s in the chair next to his, smiling at him.

“Yeah.” He just says. He knows there’s a stupid grin on his face, but Mindy’s face floods his mind, making it hard to think of anything else.

“I meant what I said, you’re good for her. But I don’t think that’s all there is to it. She’s good for you, too. I see it in the way you look at each other.” She doesn’t ask any questions, just states the simple fact, and Danny is suddenly overwhelmed with how much this woman seems to care, not only for her own children, but for him as well.

He nods, and looks back at Mindy. She’s engaged in a tickle-match with Rishi, and seeing her smile and giggle does things to his heart.

“I love her.” He says softly, not really meaning for anyone to hear him.

But Swati hears him, and she simply pads his shoulder again. “I know you do.”  

-

Half an hour later, Swati declares it’s time for bed. She hugs each of her children tightly, whispering something to them that is clearly not for Danny’s ears. She hugs him too, and before she lets go, she whispers “tell her” in his ear.

And he wants to. He desperately wants to. Especially when he sees her beginning to clean up the last evidence of the many guests. She says goodnight to Rishi, and makes her way to the kitchen with her hands full of cups and tiny plates. Danny says goodnight to Rishi too, and goes to help her.

When he enters the kitchen, he sees her bent over the sink, scrubbing harshly at a pot. “Get off, you filthy freak.” She hisses, and he moves to her side.

“Hey Min, let me.” He reaches for the sponge, and she lets him take over. “I’ll take care of the rest of this,” he gestures to the rest of the dishes on the table, “you should go get some sleep.”

She nods at him, and turns to leave. “Just… Hurry up, okay?” she says, and smiles at him.

He nods and tries to ignore the way his heart tightens at her words “I’ll be right up.”

-

When he finally finishes the dishes, he gets ready for bed, and goes to her bedroom. She’s already asleep, tangled in her comforter. He looks at her for a while, but feels slightly like a creeper.

“Danny?” she opens one eye sleepily, and he just nods, not knowing what to say. “Come here.” She lifts the comforter, and he quickly gets in next to her, making sure not to rouse her too much.

She snuggles close to him, and she smells so good he almost stops breathing.

After a while he feels her relax against him, and he’s finally able to breathe properly again. Just as he’s about to fall asleep himself, he whispers a soft “I love you” into the room.

He knows he’s a coward. He knows he should say it properly. Mindy deserves that. But right now all he can do is this.

He kisses her temple and falls into a dreamless sleep.   


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My exams are killing me, but... Procrastination plus the fact that I miss these two idiots so much, resulted in this short, kind of unnecessary chapter ;)

He wakes up before her, and spends an inappropriate amount of time just staring down at her. She looks so peaceful like this, and he’s taken back to the first time he woke up with her in his arms.

He smiles at the memory of the way she had freaked out and covered her mouth, claiming she had morning breath. He had barely been able to react before she was out of bed and in his bathroom. When she came back, her face had been touched up with make-up and even though she looked amazing, he would’ve almost preferred her without it. He loved it when she didn’t wear make-up. He loved it when she wore make-up too, to be honest. Actually, he just loved her.

Well, no. Make that _loves_. He loves her. He sighs, and her eyelids flutter.

“Hey” she squeaks, her voice still riddled with sleep. She blinks up at him, and he knows he must look like a smitten idiot, but he can’t help it. That’s what he is.

“Hey” he says back, his voice kind of rusty too.

“What time is it?” She reaches over him to grab her phone. “I can’t see anything.” She squints at the screen and he reaches for it.

“Let me.” She gives it over without a second thought and closes her eyes again.

“It’s 5:43”

“Ugh, too early.” She burrows closer to him, and he wraps his arm tighter around her.

“You have two missed calls.”

“Who?” Her breathing is slowing down again, and he can feel her relax in his arms.

“Morgan. But you can call him back later. You should sleep now.” She just nods, and seconds later she’s snoring lightly.

-

He doesn’t go back to sleep. Like an absolute creep, he stares at her for way too long. He doesn’t even realize he’s doing it, until his hand sneaks up to her face to brush away a strand of hair.

“Get a grip, Castellano!” he whispers out loud, and slowly extricates himself from her tight grip.

He tiptoes into the hallway and makes his way towards the front door.

He doesn’t expect to be stopped halfway by a hand on his shoulder. “Where are you going?”

He turns around to find Mindy standing awkwardly in an oversized t-shirt with the Boston Red Sox logo on the front.

“I didn’t want to wake you.” He smiles and she grabs his hand to drag him back to the room.

“I wasn’t sleeping…” She smiles, and he gulps, hoping she wasn’t too aware of his staring. “… much.” She adds, and he exhales shakily.

Back in the room she pushes him onto the bed, crawling in next to him. “I like it better when you’re here.”

He doesn’t trust his voice to speak, so he just tightens his hold on her and places a kiss in her hair.

She hums and he closes his eyes, letting the moment overtake him.

Eventually, they both fall asleep again.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh god, my exams are finally over. Well, they were almost a week ago. But then there was a concert and two birthday parties and a lot of other stuff, so I didn't have any time to write - UNTIL NOW!  
> I'm not 100% satisfied with this chapter. It feels like it's almost been to long since I wrote it, so I had a bit of trouble getting into the 'right frame of mind' or whatever ;)  
> BUT! It's here. So: Enjoy!
> 
> Also: Your comments seriously made my exam-period so much better <3 THANK YOU GUYS <3

A couple of hours later, he’s woken up by a knock on the door. Mindy is snuggled up next to him, breathing evenly. She’s a heavy sleeper.

“Yeah?” he croaks out, and the door opens.

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up.” Rishi says, and starts backing out of the room.

“No, it’s okay. Really.” He starts sitting up, but Mindy buries closer and stops his progress. “Uhm…” he says, and sends an apologetic shrug at Rishi, who looks as uncomfortable as Danny feels. Not that he’s uncomfortable with having Mindy this close, it’s more the whole little-brother-witnessing-it-situation he’s not completely comfortable with.

“I was just… Do you know when you’re leaving?” He’s looking anywhere than at the couple in bed.

“Uhm, I… I’m not sure actually.”

“Oh, okay. My mom just… She needs to go shopping today, and…” he trails off awkwardly, and Danny just nods.

“Yeah, sure. Of course. I’ll ask Mindy as soon as she wakes up.”

Rishi nods, and starts exiting the room.

“Oh, and Rish?” he tries not to feel like an idiot for using the nickname. “I’m… This is awkward, I’m sorry.”

Rishi shoots out a laugh. “At least you’re not naked.”

Danny blushes and Rishi closes the door behind him.

-

A few minutes later, Mindy starts stirring.

“Was Rishi just in here?” She says without opening her eyes.

“Yeah” He looks down at her, and has to physically restrain himself from not reaching out to touch her cheek.

“Oh” Her eyes are still closed, but she’s squirming against him.

“He just wanted to know when we, uh, were leaving.” At this, she opens her eyes.

“Seriously?” she looks a little sad, and he shoots her a smile.

“Yeah, but… It was just so your mom could calculate how much food to get.” She visibly relaxes, and he momentarily tightens his hold on her.

“Min, I… Maybe I should go back…”

“No.” She’s shaking her head, and sitting up. “I don’t want you to leave.”

“I don’t want to leave. But maybe you need some time alone with your family?” This time he doesn’t stop himself from touching her cheek. He’s rubbing his thumb up and down, and she’s just gaping at him.

“I…” she looks down and he moves his hand. “Maybe you’re right.” She starts extricating himself from his grasp.

“Min, wait. Just…” he pulls her back, and when she turns her head, he sees unshed tears in her eyes. “I just thought you may want…”

“But I don’t. I don’t want to go back to New York by myself and I… I need you here. I need you.”

He wipes a few tears away from her cheeks, and pulls her closer until they’re effectively hugging. “I’ll stay, then.” He whispers into her hair, and places a soft kiss in her hair.

“Thank you.”

-

Hours later, he’s hiding in her room. Well, Mindy thinks he’s making a phone call, but… He’s hiding.

It’s not that he doesn’t want to stay with her. He wants to. More than anything, really. The thought of leaving her behind, is pretty much the worst thing he can imagine. But it’s been almost a week since Mindy’s father died, and he really needs to get back to work.

Jeremy has sent him several texts, with increasingly desperate wording. Well, desperate for Jeremy. The latest one said:

**Danny. It is rather imperative that you return to the practice as soon as convenient.**

But he knows Jeremy. With both he and Mindy gone, Peter and Jeremy must be drowning in patients. He really wants to stay with Mindy, but he also really wants to still have a job when he returns.

He’s sitting hunched over on the edge of the bed, his phone clutched in his hand. His head is resting on the other hand.

“Danny?” the door swings open, and Mindy’s looking down at him. He looks up, and shoots her a smile he can feel doesn’t reach his eyes.

“Hey.”

“What’s wrong?” He motions for her to join him on the bed.

“Mindy, I… I know this isn’t ideal but… I really need to get back. Jeremy’s been sending me desperate texts for days now. I want to be here for you so badly, but the practice is down two doctors, and…” he trails off, looking at her.

“I know. You’re right. I’m sorry I was so weird this morning.” She shoots him a smile.

“You weren’t weird. I get it. I want to stay. I… It’s… I’m not…”

“You okay?” she looks almost amused, and he can’t keep away the chuckle that escapes him.

“I’m rambling. I thought that was your trait!”

“Hey!” she says, but she’s still smiling.

“I still think you should stay, though. You need time with your family.”

She nods and he wraps her up in a tight hug.

“When are you leaving, then?” She says quietly after a while.

“There’s a train later tonight.” She just nods against his chest.

-

He has some time before his train leaves, so he busies himself. He helps Swati cook dinner and he talks to Rishi for a while. He really likes the young guy, he somehow reminds him of Richie and it’s nice.

Mindy’s lounging around the living room, sometimes zapping through the channels, sometimes staring at old photo albums with a sad look on her face.

He can’t stand the fact that he’s leaving her.

-

When there’s an hour left, he starts saying his goodbyes.

Swati hugs him tightly, thanking him for being there. She also repeats what she said the night before… That thing about telling Mindy he loves her.

“I’m working on it.” He whispers back, and the smile she sends him is blinding.

He jokes around with Rishi for a bit, before he pulls him into a manly hug. “You’re a good kid” he says, before letting go of him, and Rishi looks at him like he’s a) an absolute idiot but also b) like he’s really glad he said that.

When he’s about to wrap Mindy in a hug, she shakes her head. “I’m going with you to the station.”

He grabs her hand when they walk towards the cab, and he doesn’t let go for the entire ride.

-

She walks him all the way to the train platform, and holds his hand until the train pulls in.

“So, I guess this is it.” She smiles at him and squeezes his hand.

“Are you okay?” She nods, and he pulls her into a crushing hug. “Call me. Okay?”

She nods again and pulls back. “Thank you, Danny.”

“No need to thank me.” He wants so desperately to kiss her in that second, that he almost throws caution to the wind. But then the train conductor is blowing his whistle, and he has to run to the train.

“See you soon, Min!” He yells after her, when he boards the train.

She’s waving at him and she looks so small and fragile he almost jumps off. He waves back, and doesn’t stop until he loses sight of her in the window.

The second he sits down, he starts composing a text for her.

**I love you, Mindy.**

That’s all it says.

He spends the rest of the ride debating whether to send it or not. In the end, he decides she deserves something better than a text. Instead, he composes another one.

**I hope you’re doing okay. The train ride is boring without you.**

He almost doesn’t send that either, but when he hears the robotic voice announcing their arrival in New York, he presses ‘send’.

When he reaches his apartment, he adds another short one.

**I miss you.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so so so sorry about all this waiting, but (and yes, here comes ANOTHER excuse) I've been so busy at work and I've kind of been having a bit of writer's block. But here's a chapter to soothe you over for a while....
> 
> And uhm, it might be a while, because I'm leaving for Dublin tomorrow morning. 
> 
> I really want to finish this soon, but every time I try to write something, it's like it just stretches in my mind, and what I thought would be 1 chapter turns into 4.... It's horrible and I can't stop it....
> 
> But! I am enjoying writing this, when I actually get to write something. And once again:  
> You guys are literally my favorite people ever <3 Your comments and tweets and messages on tumblr it's just... IT'S TOO MUCH AND I JUST WANT TO WRAP YOU ALL IN A LONG HUG AND NEVER LET GO
> 
> <3

Two days later, and Mindy still hasn’t replied. It’s not like he’s been sitting around with his phone in his hands or anything. He’s been really busy at the practice and the hospital and his ma called him… and… Okay, he’s not going to pretend like he’s above a bit of obsessed teenage-girl-behavior: He’s literally been checking his phone every 2 minutes, hoping she’s somehow miraculously replied.

But no. No reply. No nothing.

And he gets it. Honest – he does! He was the one who suggested she stayed behind. But… the selfish little monster he’s been able to keep at bay for the past week or so, has reared its ugly head. He knows what’s good for her, but he can’t focus on that when she’s so far away from him. He wants her to come back. He wants to hold her and kiss her and hug her and… He honestly just wants to see her.

He puts his phone away, sighing in the process, when Peter sticks his head in. “Still no reply?”

He made the stupid mistake of telling Peter about his little, uhm, phone-problem yesterday, and now he’s constantly asking about it.

“No.” He says, and acts like the one-syllable word doesn’t hurt a little. He waves his arms, indicating that he’s busy and Peter bows out without another word.

At least Peter’s quick to understand what he needs.Even if it was his 8th time asking about it.

He picks up the phone again, and looks at the display. No texts.

-

He’s woken up by a beeping sound, and immediately reaches out for his phone. The display says ’03:43’ but nothing else. Still no text. It’s been 4 days now.

He disposes of the phone, groans and buries his head under the pillow.

He tries not to think about Mindy, but it’s impossible. He wonders what she’s doing ( _probably sleeping, you idiot_ ), what she’s thinking, what she’s wearing… He misses her so much it’s becoming unbearable. The practice is so glum without her, without the bright, busy atmosphere that always seems to be hovering around her. He thinks about her smile. The way her eyes scrunch together, the way the corners of her mouth turn upwards, the way her entire face just radiates happiness… Just as he’s about to fall asleep again, the beeping sound reemerges.

So, not his phone. He quickly grabs his pager and runs to the bathroom.

-

15 minutes later he’s at the hospital, prepping for a c-section that’s shaping up to be way more complicated than his 4-in-the-morning-brain can handle.

He shakes himself out of his stupor, thinking of what Mindy would say. _“Come on, Castellano. This is something you know! You’re good at this, so go in there and kick butt.”_ He smiles at the thought, and scrubs up.

-

The c-section goes perfectly, and 30 minutes later he’s handing a beautiful, healthy little girl over to her parents. The happy looks on their faces makes it all worthwhile, and for a second he allows himself to imagine being in their situation.

Not surprisingly, his mind jumps immediately to images of Mindy smiling up at him while holding their baby girl. He can feel his eyes tearing up at the thought, and the beating of his heart reveals to him just how much he wants that to happen. He’s never thought… Not after everything with his father. He’s kind of given up on the idea of becoming a dad himself. He basically raised Rishi, and that has to be enough. But Mindy she… There’s just something with her, that he’s never felt with anyone else. Even with Christina. He loved her and he married her, but he never wanted kids with her. Or at least, he never thought of wanting kids with her. And then the divorce happened…

But Mindy. He wants that with Mindy.

He blinks multiple times, hoping to clear the sheen of tears over his eyes. He needs to get some sleep, so he bows his head, congratulates the parents and excuses himself from the room.

-

He gets to sleep a couple of hours on the couch in the doctor’s lounge. He thinks about going home, but the doctor’s lounge reminds him of countless nights spent in Mindy’s company, watching stupid reality show. Or rather, watching _her_ watching the shows.

It’s a good memory to fall asleep to.

-

The next week goes by in much the same way. He constantly checks his phone, but never finds what he’s looking for. He works his ass off, and usually falls asleep in the doctor’s lounge. Then he goes home, stays up too late and repeats the same pattern the next day.

If Mindy was here, she’d be calling him a zombie.

-

It’s day 9 he realizes just how much he can’t stand being without Mindy. Well, he realized it earlier, but this time it sort of slam-dunks him right in the face. When she left for Haiti it wasn’t this bad. He missed her, sure. But not like this. It wasn’t like there was this constant overhanging sense of longing or… Like something was missing and the only one who could fix it was her. Now though, it’s different.

He puts on a tough front and pretends like nothing is bothering him, but he’s noticed how both Jeremy and Peter have kind of been avoiding him. He lashes out at them without even thinking, and he’s even yelled at Betsy so much she started crying.

He’s not doing good.

-

Day 10, he forgets his phone at home. He’s halfway to the practice when he realizes it, and he’s dangerously close to going back after it. He even gets off the subway a few stops too early, but his desperation makes him realize it may be a good thing to be without his phone for the day.

Maybe he can stop obsessing so much about her.

It’s been 10 days.

She’s not going to reply.

-

4 hours later, he’s basically suffering from withdrawals. He’s constantly feeling for his phone in his pocket, or imagining the sound of his ringtone.

He brushes it off, and tries to focus on something else. But after the fourth time of asking Peter whether he’s heard something from her, Peter forces him out of the practice, has Betsy reschedule his patients, and pushes him into a cab with the words. “GO. TO. HER.”

-

When he gets home and finds his phone, he has 3 texts and one missed call.

All. From. Mindy.

He almost stumbles over his own feet, trying to take off his coat and open the texts at the same time.

The first one just says:

**I miss you too.**

He tries to wipe the goofy smile off his face, but honestly he’s powerless. He’s waited 10 days for this, so he’s allowed to act like a smitten 13-year-old.

**Rishi went home yesterday. So now it’s just me and mom. Sorry I haven’t texted you.**

He shakes his head, as if to indicate to her that it’s okay, that she should just take her time.

The final one takes him by surprise.

**I’m coming home tonight. Call me.**

 

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back from Ireland, so here's another chapter. I really am incredibly sorry about how slow this is coming along, but real life is being a bitch.  
> That being said, I'm literally thinking about The Mindy Project 95% of the day, so at least I'm thinking about writing, even if I'm not actually writing. That must count for something, right?
> 
> Anyhow, I think this might be the second-to-last chapter (penultimate?) chapter, which is making me sad 'cause I've LOVED writing this. Even if I have taken my own sweet time doing it ;)
> 
>  
> 
> Also, a VERY happy birthday to the lovely alittlenutjob! <3 I hope your day has been filled with awesomeness (it's at least been filled with a plethora of fanfiction, and if that's not awesomness, then I don't know what is!)

He stops breathing for a second. 10 days. It’s been 10 days. She’s finally coming home. She’s coming home!

He quickly checks the time of the text.

For a while he just stands there, staring at his phone. She sent the text two hours ago. His heart is beating like crazy, his palms are sweaty, his mind is racing. He twirls around himself a couple of times like a confused ballerina, or, rather, like the confused, vaguely chaotic mess that he is.

Then suddenly, as if he was hit by lightning, he snaps out of it. He pockets his phone, grabs his coat, snatches the keys off the table and slams the door behind himself.

He doesn’t stop to think that maybe it would be smart to actually call her, or text her… or anything really. He just needs to get to her as fast as possible.

He doesn’t hail a cab. He doesn’t get on the bus. He doesn’t take the subway. He runs. Through the streets of New York, like he’s one of those people from Mindy’s favorite movies. Billy Diamond would be proud of him.

 _What?! No! It’s Billy Crystal, you lame-o!_ He mentally chastises himself for getting something that’s so important to Mindy wrong, and then he smiles at the realization that his ‘inner voice’ sounds and awful lot like Mindy.

By the time he’s halfway to her apartment, he’s a sweaty mess, but he doesn’t slow down. He needs to see her.

If Mindy saw him she’d probably laugh, but there’s a part of him that hopes she’d kind of love it too. She’s always been fond of those overly dramatic, romantic clichés and honestly, he’d be lying to himself if he said he wouldn’t do everything for her. Including running through the streets of New York like an absolute maniac.

He’s so far gone. There’s no way back for him. Mindy’s **it** for him.

He’s known that for a while, but somehow the thought still makes him stop in his tracks, just feet from her apartment building. He clutches at his sides, suddenly realizing how much his body aches. He takes a deep breath and enters her building.

Once he’s at her door, he stops completely, staring at it like it’s the last obstacle between him and happiness. And in some way, it kind of is. He knocks, gently at first, but when no one answers, he knocks harder, saying her name.

Nothing happens.

He keeps up the knocking for a while, until he feels his body give way to the exhaustion of running and not sleeping properly for days. He sits down, his back to her door, and there is just something about the calming atmosphere of being close to Mindy, almost being at her side, that within seconds, he’s asleep.

-

The next thing he knows, he hears a stifled giggle and the sound of a camera shutter. He stirs slightly, but he can’t quite get himself to open his eyes. Something hard is digging into his back, and even though he’s definitely got a crick in his neck, he’s just _so comfortable._ More comfortable than he’s been for days.

He hears another stifled giggle and then he feels a soft hand on his cheek.

“Danny?”

He knows that voice, and somehow it rolls around in his head, warming him up, creating color and light. He feels his mouth twitch into a smile, and stirs yet again, this time enough to sit up slightly.

“Hey” he croaks out, his eyes still closed. He’s afraid that if he opens them, she won’t be there. That it will all be in his head.

He realizes he’s being a bit dramatic, seeing as it’s only been 10 days, but once you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible… Wait, he’s heard that somewhere before…

“Goddamn Billy Crystal” he mumbles, and the giggle he’s greeted with this time is not stifled, it’s a full-blown belly-laugh, and suddenly he’s brave enough to open his eyes.

“Hey” he says again, catching her gaze. She’s propped against the wall next to him, smiling at him.

“Hey. I can’t open my door.” He reaches for her, and she immediately leans against him, letting out a deep breath.

“I missed you,” he whispers, and she nods. He can feel his shirt getting damp where she’s resting her head, and he places a soft kiss in her hair.

They sit like that for a while, just breathing each other in.

He knows he should tell her he loves her, that he should kiss her, tell her he wants to be with her, but something’s stopping him.

He’s not afraid exactly, he just… She’s still vulnerable and it wouldn’t be fair to spring this on her, right after such an emotional experience. He already screwed it up once. She deserves something grand, something beyond her wildest expectations.

What she deserves is to be wooed and loved the way she’s always dreamed of.

He thinks about telling her that he ran there, that he couldn’t wait to see her, but the words won’t come. He just grips her tighter, and hopes she’s oblivious to his inner turmoil.

“Should we go in, maybe?” she says after a while, and he nods and helps her up. While she’s unlocking the door, he grabs her bags, never once letting go of her hand.

-

A couple of hours later, they’re starfished on her bed, talking like teenage girls at a slumber party. Her head is resting on his stomach, and he’s playing with her hair, staring up at the ceiling, as she tells him about the last 10 days.

“… I swear, eventually my mom was almost begging me to go home. Don’t get me wrong, she loves that we were there, and I think you were right in making me stay, but she’d drop these incredible unsubtle hints about like… New York needing me, or about how much I must miss the practice. And then, when Rishi left, the unsubtle hints became like glaring neon signs! She literally told me: _Mindy, I love you and it’s alright to be sad, but we shouldn’t bury ourselves in grief, we should live our lives to our best ability. That’s what dad would want for you too. You should go home, get some rest, get back into your old routine, it’ll help._ ”

She’s crying silently as she tells him, but she never stops. Just powers through, wiping away a few tears once in a while.

“And so I decided to leave. I mean, she’s right. Dad wouldn’t have wanted me to just hang around my childhood home and forget my own life. But it still hurts, you know? My dad died, Danny. And that’s… It’s something I don’t think I’ll ever get over. Right now it literally hurts to think about how much I miss him.”

He strokes her hair, hoping the simple gesture conveys his sympathy. She turns towards him, her tears now dripping onto his stomach.

“I know I’ve said this a million times, Danny, but… I really need you to know how much it’s meant for me, having you here, during all of this.”

The tears are rolling in a steady stream, but she doesn’t look sad. He reaches for her face, and tries to wipe away the moisture on her cheeks, but it just keeps coming back. She sends him a small smile, and he just nods, afraid to use his voice.

“I don’t think I could’ve done it without you. Rishi, Mom… We’d be lost without you. I’m lost without you, Danny.”

He stares at her, mouth agape. He wants so badly to just gather her up, kiss her into oblivion, tell her how utterly lost he was without her too, but then she moves closer, and before he knows it, she’s bent over him, placing a soft kiss on his lips.

Unlike the kiss at the funeral, this one seems to last forever. He reaches for her head, keeps her firmly above her, and holds his lips softly against hers. Neither of them move for a while, but then Mindy lets out a quiet hum, and he lets her go. She pulls back, and smiles down at him through her tears. He feels the dampness on his own face, unsure if it’s from her tears, or his own.

“I’m lost without you too, Min.” She smiles and just like that, he feels the last vestiges of doubt leaving his system.

He pulls her back down, and she buries her head in his shoulder, holding onto him tightly. He bends his head and kisses her tenderly again, her hand coming up to cradle his face.

When she pulls back, her eyes are closed and a soft smile is playing at her lips. She tucks her head back under his chin, and he pulls her closer.

And then, for the second time that day, Danny feels himself being taken over by the exhaustion roaming his system. Mindy’s in his arms, and that’s all he needs.

They fall asleep like that, clinging desperately to each other.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I lied... I mean, only a little:  
> Yes: This is the last chapter... But... There may or may not be an epilogue waiting around the corner. So it's not /actually/ the last chapter, you know?  
> I JUST CAN'T LET THIS STORY GO, OKAY?
> 
> Anyway, I really really really love reading what you guys have to say and it's legit the main source of my happiness. I wish I was kidding.
> 
> <3 <3 <3
> 
> EDIT: I lied again, there won't be an epilogue. At least not.... Right now. I kind of think it ended as it should. Kind of. Maybe. ANYWAY!
> 
>  
> 
> PS: Can we just forever agree that Mindy needed to be nominated in basically every category at the Emmy's? Ugh. They wouldn't recognize talent if it danced naked in front of them wearing Dobby's tea cozy! (yes, that's a Harry Potter quote. I couldn't help myself)

Waking up with Mindy in his arms is something he’ll never get used to. Her soft curves are aligned perfectly with his own body, and she’s tucked carefully under his chin, breathing deeply. He stays still for a long time, just listening to her even breathing, thinking about everything that’s happened the past couple of weeks.

Last night had been a culmination of _months_ of suffering for both of them. Granted, he’d been the cause of a lot of that suffering, but that doesn’t take away from the elated feeling he’s feeling right now, holding the love of his life in his arms.

And that’s what she is to him. The love of his life. He hasn’t even told her yet, but he feels it. He’s felt it for a long time without knowing what it was. Before he kissed her even. Months before he kissed her.

 _YEARS!_ his subconscious adds, and he knows it’s right.

It’s taken a while for him to get to this place, but he knows this is where he belongs. With Mindy. He almost laughs at how lame he sounds, but there’s nothing about him that doesn’t realize it’s the truth. Mindy is the one for him, and he kind of wants to shout it from the rooftops like an idiot.

That’s how in love he is.

He moves his head slowly to look down at her, and finds her staring back at him.

“Hey,” she says, sending him a small smile.

“Hey,” he kisses her forehead and she snuggles closer.

They don’t say anything for a while, just move closer together, clutching at each other.

They’re nose-to-nose, his arm encircling her waist, holding her close, her hand playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, when she talks again.

“You’re an idiot” she says, fondly, and he just nods. She pulls his face towards her, and for a while talking is impossible, pointless and unnecessary. He kisses her thoroughly, hoping to demonstrate his feelings for her. He knows they still need to talk, but right now there’s nothing besides her mouth, moving so deftly over his. Her hand is in his hair, languidly tugging at it. His own hand is moving in lazy circles on her hip. He doesn’t try to push it further, doesn’t even want to. There’s so much they need to talk about, to settle, before they get to that place. Right now, kissing her is all he needs. All he wants.

When she pulls back, her eyes are still closed and she’s smiling softly. “I missed those lips,” she breathes out, and he chuckles, playfully kissing her chin.

“They missed you too.” She lets out a giggle and pushes him softly in the chest.

“You’re such a lame-o.”

He pulls her closer and kisses her again. She smiles into it, and he can feel his heart bursting out of his chest, he’s so goddamn happy.

-

When they finally manage to get out of bed, Mindy forces him to make her breakfast, (to be fair, he doesn’t need much convincing) while she makes a phone-call. There’s still stuff to settle about her dad’s will, and even though he offers to help, she brushes him off. She says she’s ready, and he believes her.

She re-enters the kitchen, shooting him a sad smile. He turns off the stove, moves to her side and wraps an arm around her. “You’re doing good, Min.”

She reaches up to place a quick peck on his lips and he goes back to making her breakfast.

-

“You know, you could’ve said something earlier.” Mindy says later, when they’re planted on her couch, the TV flickering in the background. Her feet are tucked under his thigh, and he’s holding her hand in his, rubbing a thumb against her fingers. They’ve both been putting off this conversation, both enjoying the quiet, peaceful reunion and just being together again. But he knows it’s time, and apparently she does too.

He gulps, before he answers. “I wanted to.” He meets her eyes, and she looks puzzled.

“Why didn’t you?”

“There were… There were many reasons. What I did, Min, I… It felt right at the time. I meant what I said. I do need you in my life, and there was a part of me that didn’t think I deserved it to be in that capacity. That I couldn’t possibly be lucky enough to not only have you as a best friend, but as my… as my girlfriend. It seemed too good to be true…”

“Cut it with the rom-com talk,” she says, but she’s smiling and her eyes are brimming with unshed tears.

“Sorry,” he chuckles, “but Mindy. You… You have no idea how much you mean to me. It scared me and frankly, it still does. You’re everything to me. I don’t have a lot of friends and I can’t afford to lose one - To lose the most important one. I thought that maybe if… Maybe if we stopped it before it went too far, we’d still be able to go back to just being _us_. But I knew… I knew as soon as I walked out your door that I’d been an idiot. I was already way too far gone, to go back to just being friends.”

She’s clutching his hand in hers, and the unshed tears are now flowing freely down her face.

“I’m so sorry for what I did. I _was_ an idiot, I really fucking was. But I…” _come on, Castellano_ , “… I…”

“You?”

“I love you, Mindy. I love you so much.” He’s crying now too, and it’s wet and teary and he’s smiling and she’s smiling too and she kisses him, mingling their tears and it’s a giant mess, but there’s never been a more perfect moment in his life than this.

“You. Are. Such. An. Idiot.” She punctuates each word with a kiss, and his hands are clutching at her cheeks and her hair and he keeps on repeating the words again and again. It’s like he can’t stop saying it, now that he’s started.

“I love you. I love you. I love you.” He feels raw with emotion and he just needs her closer. He pulls her into his lap, wrapping his arms so tightly around her he’s almost scared she won’t be able to breathe. Then he buries his face in her hair, muttering the words against her skin.

“We’re a bunch of teenage girls.” She whispers, once they’ve been sitting like that for a while, and he laughs, pulling back.

“Please don’t tweet that.” She smiles mischievously at him, and he pulls her in for a kiss, hoping to stop her from sharing their moment on any social media platform. He wants her to himself a bit longer, before the peanut gallery barges in and ruins it. Well, to be honest, he’s not afraid they’ll ruin it, and he has to admit he’s actually a bit excited about everyone knowing she’s with him… But he still wants to enjoy this alone for a little while.

She sighs against his mouth, and he pulls back reluctantly. “So, are we… We’re okay?” He doesn’t know why he asks, he knows the answer. But he still kind of needs her to say it.

“We’re okay. We’re more than okay.” She kisses him lingeringly, and adds, “I love you too.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> As always, stalk me here:  
> https://aconstipatedmeerkat.tumblr.com


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